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dogcircle-scans · 5 years

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Hi guys I’m really curious about your take on Matoba’s feelings towards Natsume. Matoba usually seems so sure of himself and unwavering. But considering moments like how he froze when Natsume said that he’s had good encounters & bad encounters both with humans and yokai more or less equivocating them, to which he responds by saying that basically natsume needed to experience being hurt by yokai to learn not to trust them, it does seem like he’s also affected by Natsume 1/

But I’m not sure why/how, esp b/c I think he’s affected differently than Natori is. I think if nothing else he sometimes gets uncharacteristically emotional when Natsume’s around (like the aforementioned angry(?) outburst or his sentimentality in some of the recent chapters) for the same REASON as Natori does – because Natsume’s taking a path he didn’t take. But while we could’ve expected this out of Natori as he sees power/exorcism only as a means to become the person he wants to be and was wavering to start with, because Matoba seems to see power more as an end/is so sure of his path, the meaning of them being shaken by Natsume FEELS different? Gah sorry for the super long question!

Hey, no worries about the long question! But I do have to remind you that, because we are a team here, there are quite a few of us… so it might be best to pin-point one of us when you submit asks like that (unless you really want to find out the views of all of us, then it might be best to mention that too).

Anyways, Jessica usually handles all the asks on the blog, but she said that she liked the analysis I did of Natori and Matoba for the Miharu arc, so she suggested that I take your ask.

We received this a couple months back, but because the answer ended up being super long, it took me a while to actually finish it. But now that we have returned to the exorcists again in the latest chapter (by that, I mean Chapter 100), I realise this is a good time to come back to this ask and finally answer it for real. ^^;;

By the way, THESE ARE ALL MY OWN ANALYSIS AND OPINIONS. Anyone is free to disagree or start a discussion about this. In fact, I greatly welcome it! >w

Anyways, since your ask compares Matoba and Natori to a certain degree, I’ll do a quick run down on my thoughts about Natori’s role and relationship with Natsume in the series.

Natori’s character arc is basically about him wavering between Natsume’s kinder worldview and Matoba’s (or the exorcism world at large) crueler worldview; he doesn’t entirely despise youkai, but he still sees them as a threat to humans. If he is ever pushed to make a decision, he would chose humans over youkai (but I doubt he would make that choice with as much conviction as he says he would).

Story-wise, he pretty much treats Natsume like his younger brother (hinted to be partly because he sees his younger self in the boy). As such, he sometimes come across as being a little overprotective of Natsume, watching over him and protecting him when need be, and trying his best not to get Natsume too involved with exorcists.

Natori doesn’t want Natsume to become too deeply entwined with exorcists, or even the world of youkai. Natori basically sees himself as someone who has experienced more of the horrible side of the youkai/exorcist world compared to Natsume, and is uncomfortable with letting Natsume see and experience these same horrible stuff, which might risk destroying Natsume’s kinder worldview. His reaction towards Natsume is usually a mixture of reluctance, acceptance and awe: that despite not wanting this boy to continue down this path, he also realises that he is not in a position to stop him; and ultimately, Natsume always somehow pulls through, and reminds Natori that there is indeed a different perspective that he can use to view this world.

Okay, so now that we got Natori done, let’s move on to our main topic…

Matoba is quite a complex character, and I have to admit I wasn’t fond of him for most of the series (he has had multiple instances of being manipulative, apathetic, and sadistic; and the fact that many of these were directed to the cinnamon roll that is Natsume doesn’t help his case). Ultimately, I think my apprehension towards him was due to my inability to understand his character and motivations, but after the recent chapters, I’ve started to see a little more into his psyche.

Matoba is someone that was pretty much born into his situation. He inherited the title of the head of his clan and had to shoulder all the things that came with it: the cursed eye, the hatred directed to his clan from youkai and humans alike, and managing the many people under him. His cunning and calculative attitude could be a result of both his innate personality and the highly stressful and dangerous environment he grew up in. And to uphold his position and role, it is no wonder that he would have to firmly believe that youkai would always bring harm to humans, and that his actions, no matter how cruel, were for a just cause.

But thanks to all this, Matoba is a lonely person. He can never fully rely on any youkai because of his distrust of them, and he can never reveal his vulnerabilities to any human because of his position.

In contrast to him, Natsume is surrounded by youkai that protect him to their very last breath, and kind humans that interact with him in his daily life. From Matoba’s perspective, Natsume is his complete opposite, and someone he can never become (they are basically each others foil).

Natsume’s view that humans and youkai are both important to him shakes Matoba’s beliefs that youkai bring harm to humans. But Natsume is also always incredibly empathetic to others, and always attempts to figure out what others are thinking. There have been a couple of instances where Natsume read Matoba’s sometimes cruel actions as concern for his subordinates/other humans, all of which Matoba dismisses.

So back to the thing about how Matoba feels about Natsume… In my opnion, because of this contrast between them, Matoba seems to have become rather fond of Natsume. I think his fondness is pretty obvious by the way he borrows his help when incidents happen, protects him when the boy stumbles into dangerous situations (Chapter 100 is an example), and in the case of the Miharu arc, even open up about a poignant memory in his past with Natori, something that is very out of character. I personally think that Matoba��s attachment to Natsume is a mix of his sadism (to see how long Natsume’s idealism will last), his desire for someone to see him more than the cold and cunning leader of the Matobas, and his own suppressed hope for someone to prove to him that there’s a way to see this world from a different light.

- Niji

#natsume yuujinchou #natsume's book of friends #ask dcs #Natsume Takashi #matoba seiji #natori shuuichi #holy that was one long ask #i'm sorry guys #i think i lost track of what i was trying to say halfway through typing this

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defeateddetectives · 7 years

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HI MIRAI i miss the bar and have a question a propos of nothing: do you have any thoughts on the love/sex lives of the horrible exorcists outside of each other, WHO AND HOW WOULD THEY EVEN ATTEMPT TO DATE. what does that look like w both of their bizarre lifestyles. how much SUBLIMATED PINING gets misdirected. i'm sorry for all of these questions, this is just an "i want you to talk abt exorcists forever" ask

hi akitania we miss you too and i may or may not have answers to your questions but i’m also v loopy and procrastinating on life so here’s something, however incoherent, that i figured if i didn’t post now i would probably forget about bc that’s the person i’ve become :[

i have thought about this a little bit but mostly from the matoba seiji perspective of LMAO WHAT EVEN IS LOVE ( / BABY DON’T HURT ME!!!!!!!!!) but more like, if we’re talking canon-verse i could see it going a few ways for seiji (and haven’t exactly figured out which path i’m more attached to) -- i) he basically gets roped up into an arranged marriage of clan convenience and heir birthing (ie. the bad end offshoot of ‘in between parables’) ii) he kind of stays 5ever alone and dies a virgin bc if he can’t get what (or whom) his horrible subconscious wants, it won’t settle for anyone else either but he goes about it under the guise of ~the best interests of his clan~ and not having time for relationships and that other nonsense and/or letting romantic emotion best him and make him vulnerable etc etc (i lied, this is the path i’m apparently attached to most, welp), and iii) he tries a hand at being “normal” or at least doing what other people his age are doing and goes on a few dates here and there (the matoba family seems so insular and all-encompassing and i often wonder, does he even have any friends people who are not business acquaintances/clients???) but maybe some clients are ~overly appreciative~ or some such and he tries to humor as a ~learning experience/weird adventure of sorts~ bc part of him is still that bratty sixteen year old hiding under tables stealing desserts and a little bit #yolo -- idk if any of these would ever become something ~serious~ since he never really treats it like a priority and he also can’t help that he often feels a bit like a bored onlooker from outside a cage of lab rats half the time and can’t relate to them and it’s all very predictable. it’s more social experiment than anything until he eventually tires of even that and things end in either i) or ii). (option iv. ofc is the one where they overcome years of repressed animosity and longing and finally hook up but that’s not your question so i digresssss)

re: natori - this is where i think things get more messy since, i think natori is way better at being all mariah carey-esque and “I DON’T KNOW HER” or at least pretending to have his shit together in the sense of having a life outside of exorcism. i don’t doubt that many costars/other people he encounters amidst show business would have thrown themselves at him and he’s probably dated wayyy more widely than matoba and probably either tricked himself into thinking that it was going pretty damn well a handful of times (other times, it probably was in the direction of going well, but sooner or later, something or other would get in the way). i definitely see him as still having to work though a lot of issues with trust and also his perception of who he is and what’s important to him and boy’s still a bit of a hot mess and taking the cut and run approach to most of your life doesn’t really help much when commitment is involved. so basically, i could picture him either having a bunch of flings or thwarted attempted relationships but he’s always a little far removed from it all. (mutters incoherent comment about quick-witted, snarky dark-haired actresses always catching his eye and he knows exactly what it’s about and refuses to acknowledge any of it :)) i don’t think he would ever date within the exorcist community since it’s all Too Close To Home in multiple ways even though we see that he has some exorcist acquaintances he’s on good terms with. the tl;dr version is that he’ll probably go for things that are “safe” where “safe” also means generally inconsequential, whether he’s consciously aware of it or not.

#replies #akitania #horrible exorcists #go to bed mirai #i can see myself coming back to this and making revisions possibly but yeahhh

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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Bookshelf Briefs 10/3/19

Akashic Records of Bastard Magica Instructor, Vol. 7 | By Hitsuji Tarou, Tsunemi Aosa and Kurone Mishima | Seven Seas – Despite the wedding picture on the cover, don’t get too excited. The plot does revolve around an arranged marriage for Sisti, which Glenn interrupts at the last minute, but this an arc about Glenn’s past tragedy and his inability to save his previous partner. Naturally, the villain that killed her is back here, lording it all over Glenn, spreading killer drugs around and generally being a standard Japanese light novel villain, who never can be just a little bit evil. On the bright side, the class is still in Glenn’s corner, and that also means Sisti, who’s ready to get over her own fears and defend Glenn from certain death. This remains “pretty good.” – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 11 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – As predicted, the second volume of Chise Potter helps to flesh out the student cast a bit, including Chise’s roommate, Lucy, and we learn various secrets. Honestly, this is starting to feel a bit like Fruits Basket as well with everyone’s past trauma. The start of the book was a bit stronger, with a threat to Simon ending up showing us his extremely tragic past, filled with death and cookies. And we get a bit more insight into Elias’ character, or rather the fact that his character is cribbed from one of his teachers, who Chise meets in this book. And then there’s Stella, who makes what I suspect will be an unwise pact, though honestly she still has a few more to go to pass Chise. This remains excellent. – Sean Gaffney

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 7 | By Matoba | Yen Press -As long as you’re introducing a major new character in the previous volume, you may as well have another one here. Thus we get Mammon, a money-grubbing dojikko who fits in rather well with this dojikko-filled cast. Elsewhere, Mullin and Beelzebub continue to want to be closer to each other, and they continue to not be. Same with, well, everyone, really. This is the classic series filled with romantic pairings that never get anywhere—even the succubus wannabe can’t find it in herself to seduce poor Mullin. If you enjoy cute fluff, it’s more of the same, and picks up where the anime left off. If you like closure, on the other hand, look elsewhere. – Sean Gaffney

Cats of the Louvre | By Taiyo Matsumoto | VIZ Media – If you’re looking for a cute kitty book, this is not it. There are scenes of cat injury and cat death, the latter accompanied by grisly sound effects. If you can get past this, Cats of the Louvre is a rewarding read. It’s a largely melancholy tale of a dissatisfied tour guide who learns that an aging security guard’s sister disappeared into a painting 50 years ago and tries to help him contact her. This plan involves Snowbébé, a seven-year-old perma-kitten—part of a cat colony that has lived at the Louvre for generations—who can also travel into paintings. The art is truly gorgeous, with many pages that make one stop and marvel. My favorite is an all-black panel wherein tiny, white Snowbébé watches his spider friend munch on a meal, but many images will stick with me, for good and for ill, especially Matsumoto’s depiction of the cats. – Michelle Smith

Classmates, Vol. 2: Sotsu Gyo Sei: Winter | By Asumiko Nakamura | Seven Seas -This sequel to the one-volume original pretty much picks up where it left off: they still haven’t graduated but are thinking about it, and their relationship is still somewhat hidden but does involve quite a lot of making out, as well as dealing with their teacher, who remains the one part of this series I don’t like. Hikaru’s having trouble thinking about his future, and Rihito’s family is causing him quite a few issues, especially when his mother is diagnosed with cancer. How do you reach out to someone for comfort when you’re seriously bad at that sort of thing? That’s what this series lives to answer, and it’s emotionally dramatic but also quite compelling. Also several shows of ludicrous hands, arms and torsos, for BL fans who follow that. – Sean Gaffney

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil, a Run, Vol. 7 | By Nagabe| Seven Seas – Last review I started with the good news that Shiva didn’t seem to be infected by touching Teacher. Welp. I joked on Twitter that by the tenth volume of this series it would just be 180 pages of black scratches and nothing else, and nothing so far leads me to change that hypothesis. There are actually a few action scenes here, though the mood still seems to keep that dreamlike, silent atmosphere the series specializes in. Everyone is angry or sad in this. It’s a really well-written series, and you long to see what will happen next, but it is a bit difficult to tune in next time to get punched in the face again. That said, it is an extremely beautiful and dignified facial beating. – Sean Gaffney

Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest, Vol. 2 | By Aki Irie| Vertical Comics – Having given us an odd combination of supernatural murder mystery and travelogue last time, the second volume comes down firmly on the “travelogue” side, as the plot barely advances till the very end. Kei’s friend Kiyoshi has arrived for a visit, and Kei is here to show him the wonder that is Iceland. Aki Irie’s last series lost me by combining gorgeous art with a sketchy premise, but this one doesn’t have that issue, and revels in its beautiful scenery and gorgeous women—mainly Lilja, whom Kiyoshi spots at a bookstore and gets a completely different impression of than Kei managed to get. If you love Iceland, this series is for you. If not, at least it’s super pretty, though it seems to have put aside its plot. – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 17 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – We’re finally getting the details of Yozora’s past, and they’re not hideously tragic or anything, just emotionally devastating for a child. Kodaka’s solution involves playing a game together with both the club and the student council, involving choosing which player is a killer and which is a normal villager. It’s the bulk of the book, and is a lot of fun, allowing the characters who enjoy being nasty to let it all out. Meanwhile, Sena actually comes to some self-realization about herself, and Kodaka’s solution, although cribbed from Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, actually seems to work far better than expected. This leads Kodaka to make his own change, which… is a cliffhanger that’s both shocking and hilarious. Great volume. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 34 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Ugh. Another volume that’s all volleyball game. It’s a good volume, but as always I find it hard to pick out things to review. I did really like showing off the bond between Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, and seeing that this isn’t going to be the usual shonen “our heroes start in a big hole and are always behind”—they’re really evenly matched. Kozume is also leveling up here, and we get a nice look at his mindset—he doesn’t care about the meaning of the game, or the rivalry, or that this could be the end of the season. He wants to stop Karasuno. Now. And by the end of the book he’s off to a good start, as Karasuno does indeed lose the first set. Will they pull it off? Probably, but my guess is not next volume. – Sean Gaffney

If I Could Reach You, Vol. 1 | By tMnR | Kodansha Comics – Reiichi and Kaoru are former childhood friends who fell in love and got married. Reiichi’s little sister, Uta, always adored Kaoru and only realized her feelings were romantic love the day she saw Kaoru marry her brother. Now, Uta is living with the newlyweds—some family turmoil is hinted at but not yet explained—and struggling to give up on her feelings for her sister-in-law. She knows it’s “a one-sided love… a too-late love,” but can’t help feeling occasional flashes of hope, which at the same time she knows are going to cause her pain later. This series reminded me a bit of Daytime Shooting Star, in that I don’t know if I’m supposed to root for Uta’s unrequited love for an out-of-reach adult to be reciprocated. I hope not, but we shall see! – Michelle Smith

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 7 | By Afro | Yen Press – Again, the author enjoys playing with Nadeshiko’s reputation as an airhead. Her solo camping jaunt goes fine, though it reminds her she enjoys group camping more. That said, both her sister and Rin worry that she’s going to somehow accidentally kill herself, so both sneak along separately to try to verify that she’s doing everything right. It’s pretty cute. That said, we might have to wait a bit for the next big camping trip, as a) exams are coming up (to some of the cast’s dismay) and they’re also somewhat broke after so many trips. This remains a series that runs on mood, and that mood is cute and relaxed. This volume is particularly good at it. Also, there’s some nice foodie stuff here as well, for those who enjoy that. – Sean Gaffney

Love at Fourteen, Vol. 9 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – When focused on its main couple, Love at Fourteen can’t go wrong. Said couple has a lot of troubles this volume, as a) Kanata sprains an ankle by not watching out for some ice, and b) Kazuki’s father is moving, and no, Kazuki can’t stay there just because he’s in love with Kanata. This actually causes a communication issue for most of the volume, and I wonder how it will resolve itself. Meanwhile, when Hinohara is trying to get her boy to sing like he wants to win, I smile. When it shows off the teacher-student romance still going strong, I don’t. Not all that find of Shota and his depressed office worker romance either. Basically, this is still a great manga, but only for the leads. – Sean Gaffney

Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 9 | By Fujimomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Lovesick Ellie has evolved since the last time I wrote about it. Akira and Ellie are now dating openly and talking about having sex soon. Ellie’s enthusiastic consent continues to be refreshing, even though she doesn’t know a lot about the act to which she’s consenting. She gets the wrong idea from some classmates and avoids Akira for a bit as a result, but as usual, they end up being honest with each other before too long. While the “Akira is entered into a contest for hot guys” plotline that follows could be really lame in other hands, here it’s largely about how Akira is just an awkward kid at heart who gets burdened by the expectations of others. I like both these characters very much and look forward to seeing how their relationship develops from here. – Michelle Smith

Smile Down the Runway, Vol. 2 | By Kotoba Inoya | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Chiyuki Fujito desperately wants to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week. Fortunately for her, her dad runs a modeling agency. Unfortunately, she stopped growing when she was ten and is only about 5’2″. Meanwhile, Ikuto Tsumura tells himself he’s content merely making clothes for his family, but through his association with Chiyuki, he has the opportunity to work for a temperamental designer who is about to stage an incredibly important debut show. In fact, when Chiyuki substitutes for an absent model and Ikuto hastily alters her (hideous) dress, they kind of save the day. I enjoy how these two encourage each other while simultaneously not wanting to lose to the other. The subject of bare bosoms backstage was also handled way better than anticipated. I reckon I’ll keep up with this one. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Girls’ Ops, Vol. 6 | By Neko Nekobyou and Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – When you’re in a non-lethal game, it can be a lot easier to have a new ally turn out to betray you. Or double or triple betray you. Our girls may have stumbled upon such an ally here, who can tell a decent sob story but seems to be on the side of the villains… or is she? Meanwhile, the past data of SAO continues to seemingly be influencing ALO, including not only Kirito but also Lux’s deceased friend. Liz and Silica also get some good character scenes in this volume. (Sorry, Leafa. You’re basically comic relief here.) It’s not as compelling as its first arc was, and reads a bit like it’s continuing just because SAO is really popular. But I like reading about these girls, so I’ll continue on. – Sean Gaffney

By: Sean Gaffney

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